Here’s a comforting, easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Shells—creamy, hearty, and minimal effort.
🍗🍝 Slow Cooker Chicken & Shells
Ingredients
- 500–700g chicken breast or thighs
- 2 cups small pasta shells
- 3 cups chicken broth/stock
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian herbs or oregano
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)
- Optional: spinach, mushrooms, chili flakes
🥘 Method
1. Slow cook chicken base
Add to slow cooker:
- chicken
- broth
- onion
- garlic
- salt, pepper, herbs
Cook:
- LOW: 5–6 hours or
- HIGH: 3–4 hours
2. Shred chicken
- Once tender, shred chicken directly in the pot.
3. Add pasta
- Stir in uncooked shell pasta + milk/cream
- Cook 20–30 minutes on HIGH until pasta is soft
- Stir occasionally so pasta doesn’t stick
4. Finish with cheese
- Add shredded cheese
- Stir until creamy and melted
🔑 Tips
- Don’t add pasta too early → it will overcook
- Add extra broth if it gets too thick
- Stir once or twice during pasta cooking stage
🍽️ Easy upgrades
- Add spinach at the end for freshness
- Use parmesan for stronger flavor
- Add hot sauce or chili flakes for a spicy version
- Mix in mushrooms for extra depth
If you want, I can give you a one-pot stovetop version, a lighter high-protein version, or a meal prep batch version for the week.
